Is the workshop always dirty and messy? This is how team on-site management should be done!

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　　With the rapid development of China’s economy, people’s living standards have improved significantly. Various manufacturing industries have emerged at an accelerated pace, and enterprises across the country regard local manufacturing as one of the key pillars of economic development, which has contributed to the fast growth of this industry. At the same time, as the number of small and medium-sized manufacturing companies increases, competition becomes more fierce, and more problems arise; many of these companies fail due to poor management. 　　How to survive and thrive in fierce competition is a practical challenge that every manufacturing company must face. What determines a company’s operating performance is its management level. 　　1. The importance of on-site management: On-site production management is an essential part of enterprise management and represents the quality of corporate management. 　　The quality of on-site management allows one to assess the competence and management level of a company’s employees, the reliability of its product quality, and the degree of cooperation within the company. And work teams are the frontline in the management of production sites within enterprises; therefore, improving the level of management of these production sites is necessary for the development of the enterprises themselves. 　　2. The six key tasks of team leaders in on-site management: Generally speaking, the aspects that need to be managed on site include production efficiency, cost reduction, safety, employee training, improvement activities, 6S, enhancement of employees’ skills, and quality. 　　Specifically, it includes the following six items: Personnel management: Enhancing team cohesion and maintaining high morale ； 　　Task management: Develop comprehensive work plans and implement effective working methods ； 　　Quality management: Control the quality of work and implement self-driven quality assurance standards to achieve a zero-defect standard ； 　　Equipment management: Operate equipment correctly to maintain fault-free production ； 　　Safety management: The necessary measures taken to ensure the safety of personnel, products, and customers ； 　　Cost management: Save materials, eliminate waste, and reduce costs. 　　3. Create a clean and orderly workplace 　　The implementation of 6S management in team-based production site management involves introducing 6S management practices (seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, shitsuke, and safety). This creates a dynamic management system for the production site that uses team management as its operational framework, human competence as the key factor, seiri, seiton, seiso, and seiketsu as environmental factors, and safety and environmental protection as the target objectives. As a result, a safe, hygienic, and comfortable working environment is created for the employees. Implementing 6S lean management is an advanced basic management approach for enhancing a company’s competitiveness and building a high-quality workforce. It holds the following important significance for team management: (1) Improving the company’s image and overall quality, optimizing the working environment, attracting customers, and boosting confidence ； 　　(2) Reduce waste: Implement fixed-location management, make rational use of space, and achieve an optimal state for people, facilities, and space. 　　(3) Improve efficiency: a good environment and mood, orderly arrangement, and reduced handling tasks. 　　(4) Quality assurance: Approach tasks with care and precision, and focus on controlling key quality processes. 　　(5) Safety assurance: Clear and spacious passages, bright environments, diligent staff, and few accidents. 　　(6) Prolong equipment lifespan: cleaning, inspection, servicing, maintenance ； 　　(7) Reduce costs: minimize leaks and reduce back-and-forth transportation ； 　　(8) Accurate delivery times: clear at a glance, abnormalities are easily identifiable, allowing for timely adjustments in operations ； 　　4. Make management “clear at a glance” Visual management is one of the three key tools for on-site management, and it is also an important technique for implementing 6S. It involves using various visual information elements that are easy to understand and presented in appropriate colors to organize production activities on site, thereby improving labor productivity. Compared to other management methods, visual management has the following advantages: (1) It is intuitive and easy to recognize; it simplifies processes and facilitates information transmission, thus enhancing work efficiency. (3) Information is made accessible and transparent, which helps facilitate coordination and mutual supervision among all personnel on site. (3) Visual management enables the scientific improvement of production conditions and the working environment, contributing to positive physical and psychological effects. The tools used in visual management can serve as a simple common language and set of guidelines for action, thereby improving communication between people. This not only reduces arguments but also prevents misunderstandings. In particular, visual management helps identify potential problems, allowing appropriate measures to be taken to prevent issues from arising. Today, many companies produce a wide variety of products in small batches with short delivery times, which increases the difficulty of on-site management. As a means, visual management enables all employees in a company to reduce errors and carry out production more easily. 　　5. Improve productivity and reduce errors. To implement standardization and bring order to the production area within teams, it is necessary to establish corresponding management standards, including: (1) Standardization of production area management. Production site management must start from the basics, namely by establishing work standards, refining them, and truly implementing and evaluating them. The work standards at the production site can be divided into three distinctly different categories: first, management work standards; second, work procedure standards; and third, employee work standards. 　　(2) Strengthen basic management within the team. Establish various basic management record-keeping systems, reporting frameworks, as well as reward and penalty mechanisms for different processes ； Pay attention to the basic management of the semi-finished product warehouse, serving to provide control in the earlier stages and supervision in the later stages ； Make full use of modern devices such as computers to replace manual operations for preparing various statistical reports and issuing production task orders, thereby improving work efficiency, and so on. Through these basic management practices, team management work is made increasingly standardized. 　　(3) Establish and improve the management rules and regulations for the production site at the team level. This includes various rules, regulations, procedures, and methods established in relation to production, safety, technology, and ideological and political work, such as the routine inspection system, shift handover system, work order system, post responsibility system, safety responsibility system, and technical training system; these must be standardized and unified and put into practice. 　　6. Identifying problems and taking preventive measures The most important management tool for implementing JIT production is the kanban; it is a tool used to control the production schedule at the manufacturing site. Specifically, it is a card, and its form varies depending on the company. The information on the label usually includes: part number, product name, manufacturing number, container type, container capacity, label number, transfer location, and part appearance. 　　In the JIT production system, the functions of the kanban are as follows: (1) As work instructions for production and transportation, the kanban contains information such as the quantity to be produced, time required, methods, sequence, as well as the amount to be transported, transportation time, destination, storage location, and handling tools. By tracing back from the assembly process to previous stages, the kanban attached to the components used in assembly is removed, allowing those components to be retrieved from the previous stages. “\"Pick-up in subsequent processes\" and \"JIT production\" are achieved in this way through kanbans. 　　(2) Prevent overproduction and excessive shipping　　Kanbans must be used in accordance with established rules of operation. One of the rules is: “Production and shipment are not allowed without a kanban.” ”According to this rule, as the number of kanbans decreases, the production volume also decreases accordingly. Since the kanban indicates only the necessary quantity, its use enables automatic prevention of overproduction and proper delivery levels. 　　(3) Tools for “visual management”
Another rule regarding the use of kanban is: “Kanban must be placed on the actual items,” and “the preceding process must produce items in the order in which the kanban cards are removed.” Under this rule, site managers can clearly see the production priorities, making management easier. By checking the dashboard, one can know the progress of subsequent processes, inventory levels, and more. 　　(4) Tools for improvement In the JIT production method, intermediate inventory of work-in-progress is reduced by continuously decreasing the number of kanbans. Under normal circumstances, if the inventory of work-in-progress is high, even if equipment fails or the number of defective products increases, it does not affect the production in subsequent processes, so such problems tend to be concealed. Moreover, even if there is an oversupply of personnel, it’s not easy to detect. 　　According to one of the rules for using the kanban, \"defective products must not be sent to subsequent processes.\" If the needs of these subsequent processes are not met, it will result in a shutdown of the entire production line, which immediately exposes the problem and necessitates immediate corrective actions to resolve it. In this way, the improvement activities not only resolved the problem. It also continuously strengthens the \"health\" of the production line, leading to improved productivity. The goal of the JIT production method is to ultimately achieve a production system without inventory, and the kanban provides a tool to move in this direction. 　　7. Improve the overall utilization rate of equipment
The promotion of TPM activities in equipment management involves taking equipment as the research subject, aiming to maximize its overall efficiency. It applies a series of theories and methods, along with various technical, economic, and organizational measures, to achieve scientific management over the entire lifecycle of equipment—from planning, design, selection, procurement, installation, acceptance, operation, maintenance, repair, renovation, and replacement, all the way to disposal. 　　Production equipment is an important component and one of the fundamental elements of productivity; it serves as a crucial tool for enterprises to carry out production and operations. It represents an important material asset for a company’s survival and development, and it is also a physical indicator of the level of development of social productivity. Production equipment holds a significant proportion and a very important role, both in terms of its share of a company’s assets, the scope of management tasks involved, and as an indicator of a company’s competitiveness in the market. Proper management and effective use of production equipment, as well as improving the level of equipment management, are of great significance in promoting the progress and development of enterprises. 　　(1) To improve product quality and increase production, equipment is an important factor. Strengthening equipment management is an important means to improve quality and increase production and revenue. Therefore, the Party and **have repeatedly called for the implementation of the State Council’s \"Equipment Management Regulations.\" To strengthen equipment management, it is necessary to combine this effort with activities aimed at increasing both productivity and efficiency in enterprises, to make use of modern technologies and to pursue technological innovation, so as to ensure that equipment operates in optimal condition ； To fully leverage the advanced capabilities of new equipment, maintain a high utilization rate, prevent and detect potential equipment failures, and achieve greater economic benefits ； For old equipment, technical modifications and upgrades should be carried out to improve and enhance their quality, boost performance, and extend their service life, thereby increasing overall efficiency. 　　(2) The key to improving labor productivity is to enhance the production efficiency of equipment. Most people within a company work around the equipment. To improve the work efficiency of these people, it is necessary to increase equipment production efficiency, reduce equipment failures, and improve equipment utilization rates. 　　(3) Reducing consumption and lowering production costs are also key aspects of equipment management. Most of the consumption of raw materials occurs in the equipment. Poor equipment condition increases raw material consumption; if defects occur, the waste of raw materials is even greater. In terms of energy consumption, equipment accounts for a larger share. Strengthening equipment management, improving the operational efficiency of equipment, and reducing energy consumption are important means of saving energy; they also represent an ongoing challenge for companies seeking to reduce energy use and consumption. During the operation of equipment, certain material consumption is also required to maintain its normal functioning. Generally, equipment comes with standard spare parts and wear-prone components. If equipment is not properly managed, the consumption of these parts increases, leading to higher maintenance costs. 　　Especially for imported equipment, the cost of spare parts is even higher. After operating for a certain period of time, the equipment requires major repairs. The costs associated with these repairs represent an important expense in equipment management. By managing equipment effectively, it is possible to extend the interval between major repairs; as a result, the impact of these repair costs on production costs over the entire life cycle of the equipment is reduced, thereby helping to lower production costs. 　　8. Strengthen on-site quality management The quality of implementation of TQM activities plays an important role in the economic development of modern society. In today’s world, science and technology are advancing at a rapid pace, and market competition is becoming increasingly fierce. Ultimately, the core of competition lies in science and technology as well as quality. 　　Undoubtedly, science and technology are the primary driving forces of progress, while quality is an essential element of a society’s material wealth; it serves as a sign of societal advancement and the development of productive forces. Therefore, quality is not only a matter of economic and technical considerations, but it also relates to a country’s **reputation in the international community. 　　Total Quality Management refers to the overall efforts driven by society, in which all departments, organizations, and personnel within an enterprise focus on product quality as the core objective. By integrating professional techniques, management skills, and mathematical and statistical methods, a scientific, rigorous, and efficient quality assurance system is established. This system controls all factors affecting quality during the production process, enabling the provision of products that meet customer needs through high-quality work performed in the most cost-effective manner. 　　Characteristics of total quality management: 1. Expanding the scope of management and enhancing vertical communication within the organization ； 　　2. Reduce labor division and promote cross-functional team collaboration ； 　　3. Adopt a strategy that combines prevention with inspection, giving priority to prevention, and emphasize the measurability and auditability of corporate activities ； 　　4. Delegate authority and responsibilities as much as possible to lower levels, to ensure a rapid and consistent response to changes in customer needs ； 　　5. Optimize resource utilization and reduce production costs at all stages ； 　　6. Pursue quality and efficiency, implement a brand strategy to gain long-term competitive advantages ； 　　7. The focus shifts from technical methods to organizational management, emphasizing the importance of responsibilities ； 　　8. Continuously provide training for employees to foster a culture of continuous quality improvement, and create an organizational atmosphere where learning, improvement, and advancement are encouraged. 　　From both the present and future perspectives, customers have become the lifeblood of businesses. “The “customer-centric” management model is gradually receiving great attention from enterprises. Total Quality Management emphasizes customer value; its core philosophy is that “customer satisfaction and acceptance are the keys to winning the market in the long term and creating value.” To this end, total quality management requires that a customer-centric mindset be integrated into the management of an enterprise’s business processes. That is, in every stage ranging from market research, product design, prototyping, production, inspection, warehousing, sales to after-sales service, the principle of \"the customer first\" must be firmly upheld. It is not only necessary to produce products of high quality at competitive prices, but it is also important to provide excellent service to customers, so as to ensure their satisfaction and confidence. 　　9. Addressing both symptoms and root causes The application of on-site improvement techniques represents a business philosophy aimed at continuously enhancing work methods and employee efficiency. Improvements often take place on the job site, and the improvement activities carried out in on-site management are known as on-site improvement. This approach emphasizes activating the work site, motivating employees, and constantly improving work processes. 　　Team leaders must deal with constantly changing objects and working conditions. If they merely try to maintain the status quo passively, it will be exhausting, and a large number of difficult problems will accumulate. Therefore, team leaders should not limit themselves to maintaining the status quo; instead, they need to incorporate elements of improvement into their daily on-site management and spread this mindset of improvement throughout the entire team’s work area. As team leaders, they must have a certain understanding of the workplace and their own opinions. With these opinions, they can consider what is reasonable in the current situation and seek better solutions. Once they have ideas, they want to put them into practice, making full use of existing resources to create valuable new methods and strategies. Only by mastering and applying effective improvement techniques can team leaders address both the symptoms and root causes of problems that arise during team operations, thereby raising the level of team management. 　　In summary, scientifically managing a company enables it to develop rapidly, enhancing its competitive advantages as well as its brand’s market share and influence. A company with poor management loses its market share, its customers, and its consumers. Employees become disengaged and their morale drops, causing the company to lose its cohesion and eventually collapse. It is entirely correct to seek efficiency through management. The key is to adopt a management style that suits the specific circumstances of the enterprise – a style that is in line with the actual conditions of the company and appropriate for its current stage of development. Therefore, seeking efficiency through management remains an eternal theme for businesses. The cultivation and improvement of team leaders’ qualities mainly depend on their own learning and practical abilities. 　　As times progress and science develops, if team leaders do not enhance their political awareness and professional capabilities through continued learning, they will fail to keep up with the times and be unable to perform their duties effectively. There are various ways to learn*, but the most effective method is still combining theory with practice. That is, one should learn not only from books but also from practice. As a frontline manager, it is essential to go deep into reality, deepen one’s understanding of theoretical knowledge through practice, and use theory to study, analyze, and summarize experiences. By doing so, one can develop effective methods suitable for oneself, use them to guide one’s actions, and continuously train and improve oneself. 　　Improve on-site management in work teams: First, it is necessary to start from the actual conditions of the team, identify appropriate starting points, and systematically address the prominent issues existing in on-site management ； 　　Second, it is necessary to analyze various operations at the team’s production site in order to find the most economical and effective procedures and methods for carrying out those tasks ； 　　Third, regularly evaluate the implementation results to continuously drive the work of the team forward.